ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE

I wish I could say serving others comes easy to me. Once I’m caught up in the action it does. Finding the courage to act however often feels impossible. I think about serving ALL the time. I see a human being; raw, hurt and think “I should do something” but fear stops me. We are told that faith and fear cannot exist at the same time. You either have one or the other. I want to have faith, every minute of every day. Yet, I am human. I have fear and for a long time I have let that fear stop me from helping.

There was once a time when my life was filled with so much love and faith that there simply was no room for fear. I was filled with hope. Then one day that love was ripped from me. I became vulnerable. I became angry with God. I felt as though a piece of me had been torn. Slowly, fear began to creep back into me. But then, something beautiful happened. I cried out to God. I let him in and showed him my pain. He took my pain and placed it on His shoulders.

Luke 18:27 reads, “And he said, the things which are impossible with men are possible with God”. I have once more opened my heart to serving and I hope that I never ever close it again! I want to serve those around me every day. Whether it is big or small, I want to show others that God cares about them. There is so much poverty where I live. I don’t have to climb mountains or cross-rivers to find it. It is right in front of me, down the street. I drive past poverty every morning. Today I am choosing to acknowledge it and do my part. Will you?

DON'T GIVE UP

Yesterday, as I sat in the shade enjoying a few moments away from the sweltering sun I watched as a young girl tried to pull herself up onto the big swing set. She struggled and tried her very hardest, each time to no avail. Yet, with her fierce determination she kept trying and trying, each time sliding off or just not getting high enough to lift herself onto the swing seat.  Finally, she noticed some bricks lying around her and began to build a step up to the swing. As she climbed on the bricks she was able to get onto the swing and I watched as she happily swung back and forth, the wind blowing her bright yellow dress.

Watching this take place my mind was drawn to God and how we are all like that little girl, trying to get onto the big swing so that we can swing higher and higher!

Here we are on this earth, tiny human beings trying so hard to reach our greatest potential! We struggle daily to climb onto that swing, and yet sometimes we fail. Sometimes there are setbacks and we must fall off the swing and once again start again…that is until we realize we are not alone.  God is there with us, helping us get onto that swing, if only we will allow him. He is our brick, showing us the way onto the swing. If only we will take notice of our bricks lying by our side just waiting to help us!

I have setbacks. I have hard days. I have failed. I have fallen off my swing time and time again…

BUT, I have chosen to get back on that swing. I choose to take one step closer to success. I choose to not let my setbacks get me down. I choose to push forward. I choose to make my hard days good.

What I want more than anything is to get back on that swing and follow God daily. I want to live a life filled with challenges. I want to swing higher and higher each time coming closer to God.

No, I will not get there today or tomorrow, or even next year! I will fall off my swing many more times throughout my life, but each time I will get back on! I will rely on my bricks to lift me up. I will not give up. And neither should you.